One in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. This statistic represents a daunting prospect but research suggests that your risk of the deadly condition might be modifiable. What’s more, Dr Michael Mosley proposes a tasty way to see your likelihood of developing cancer fall. The small food that is up for the job can not only ward off the disease, but it could also reduce your risk of dying from it by a whopping 40 percent.
Speaking on his podcast Just One Thing, Dr Mosley said: “So, it is mid-afternoon and I am craving chocolate or perhaps a biscuit.
“But instead, I’m going for a protein-packed snack that can protect my heart, may stave off cancer, and give my brain a boost.
“I am cracking out the nut.”
Packed with good fats, protein, fibre and “anti-inflammatory” powers, nuts offer more than a tasty snack.
READ MORE: The sign when going to the loo that’s linked to ‘severe’ cases of vitamin B12 deficiency
In fact, research suggests that the small foods can reduce your risk of a whole host of problems, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Dr Mosley continued: “A five-year Spanish intervention study, involving over 7,000 older adults, found that the group who was asked to eat nuts more than three times a week were over 40 percent less likely to die from cancer.
“And that was after controlling for other lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption, physical activity and smoking.
“Those are some big numbers.”
Don’t miss…
Personal trainer recommends high cholesterol clients do exercises[EXCLUSIVE]
The sign when going to the loo linked to severe vitamin B12 deficiency [LATEST]
The ‘unpleasant’ sensation in the leg that may signal a blood clot [INFORMER]
While nuts can be a bit pricey, you don’t need to tap into your savings to keep your body healthy and cancer risk low.
The doctor explained that just a “handful” of nuts a day should be enough to do the trick.
The podcast host even invited Dr Sze-Yen Tan, from Deakin University in Australia, to help crack why less can be more.
Dr Tan said: “So even though we do see a lot of benefits coming from nuts, we don’t recommend people to go nuts about eating nuts.
READ MORE: Personal trainer recommends high cholesterol clients do ‘compound’ exercises – here’s how
“We do want people to maintain the level of about 15 to 30 grams per day.”
While you don’t need to eat huge amounts and different types, there is one rule you should stick to.
This episode’s guest continued: “The one thing that I can say is that a lot of the beneficial compounds are found on the skin of the nuts.
“So, when you prepare your nuts – whether it’s in cooking, or baking, or consuming them on its own – make sure that you consume the skin of the nuts together with the nuts, in order to get all the nutrients or the beneficial compounds.”
What’s more, it doesn’t matter whether you prefer peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans or almonds.
“There’s no reason to believe that one nut is better than another,” Dr Tan added.
Furthermore, Dr Mosley said you shouldn’t be put off nuts because they contain up to 70 percent of fat. The small foods are rich in unsaturated fat, which is the good type beneficial for your heart.
So, snack away and your brain, heart, and cancer risk “might thank you for it”, Dr Mosley concluded.
Source: Read Full Article